We have experimented with many different styles of chicken keeping. All have advantages and disadvantages. Does anyone have input on using electric poultry netting and how to keep chickens from flying over?
1/4 acre fenced: with 6' high 2"X3" square welded wire and a stationery coop. This was set up for our dog who use to live with the chickens. There is plenty of vegetation, brush and tree coverage even a small pond for drinking. This is low maintenance and our favorite way to keep chickens. We run about 20 chickens in this space they have a great life, but sometimes hide their eggs in the bushes. We have never lost a bird to a predator in this space. But we keep between 60-80 chickens so have to find other ways to keep them.
Chicken Tractor: works great, but you have to move it daily (or more). This way they are always getting fresh grass and the parasites die off before the chickens return to that space. But I prefer to see the chickens have more room to roam and be free. We usually transfer the poulets into a tractor until they get larger.
The Brig: Completely fenced and netted over the top for my naughty chickens ( the ones who fly out and run straight for the garden, hop the garden fence and destroy everything). We have two brigs that we rotate every other week so the ground gets a break. A 4 brig rotation space would be a better longer rest.
Electric Netting: Recently we started using a mobile coop and 4' electric poultry netting, but many of the birds just fly over. They don't wander too far and usually show up for the evening feeding. But when they fly out they tend to drop their eggs anywhere they happen to be and some choose to roost in the trees. The fat bottom girls like Black Australorps and Bhramas stay put a little better. We have lost 2 to eagles inside the netting. I've been toying with the idea of fastening a fishing net to the top of the mobile coop that can be stretched out to the edge of the electric netting, this would provide more aerial coverage and may hinder their flying out. But it would be one more piece to move and set up which we do about every three days.
Deep Mulch Bedding: In the winter everyone moves in from the mobile coops and tractors to the "Big House". A 10' X 12' X 8' tall coop with a fully fenced court yard. The coop does not have a floor, just the ground, we put wood chips about 1'-2' deep in the coop and 1' in the court yard. Everyone is kept this way during the wet rainy season. The wood chips absorb the poo and make it not stinky, by spring we have amazing mulch!
1/4 acre fenced: with 6' high 2"X3" square welded wire and a stationery coop. This was set up for our dog who use to live with the chickens. There is plenty of vegetation, brush and tree coverage even a small pond for drinking. This is low maintenance and our favorite way to keep chickens. We run about 20 chickens in this space they have a great life, but sometimes hide their eggs in the bushes. We have never lost a bird to a predator in this space. But we keep between 60-80 chickens so have to find other ways to keep them.
Chicken Tractor: works great, but you have to move it daily (or more). This way they are always getting fresh grass and the parasites die off before the chickens return to that space. But I prefer to see the chickens have more room to roam and be free. We usually transfer the poulets into a tractor until they get larger.
The Brig: Completely fenced and netted over the top for my naughty chickens ( the ones who fly out and run straight for the garden, hop the garden fence and destroy everything). We have two brigs that we rotate every other week so the ground gets a break. A 4 brig rotation space would be a better longer rest.
Electric Netting: Recently we started using a mobile coop and 4' electric poultry netting, but many of the birds just fly over. They don't wander too far and usually show up for the evening feeding. But when they fly out they tend to drop their eggs anywhere they happen to be and some choose to roost in the trees. The fat bottom girls like Black Australorps and Bhramas stay put a little better. We have lost 2 to eagles inside the netting. I've been toying with the idea of fastening a fishing net to the top of the mobile coop that can be stretched out to the edge of the electric netting, this would provide more aerial coverage and may hinder their flying out. But it would be one more piece to move and set up which we do about every three days.
Deep Mulch Bedding: In the winter everyone moves in from the mobile coops and tractors to the "Big House". A 10' X 12' X 8' tall coop with a fully fenced court yard. The coop does not have a floor, just the ground, we put wood chips about 1'-2' deep in the coop and 1' in the court yard. Everyone is kept this way during the wet rainy season. The wood chips absorb the poo and make it not stinky, by spring we have amazing mulch!
